3 reasons why the Chicago White Sox should trade Dylan Cease
After a horrible 2023 season going 61-101, The Chicago White Sox's new general manager Chris Getz is working on reshaping the roster, intending to compete in 2025. Although Getz doesn't have much to work with, starting pitcher Dylan Cease is one of the most valuable pieces on this roster, and it's assumed by many that he will be traded.
Cease, 28, is arguably one of the hottest names on the trade market. He is under team control for two more years and is owed under $20M in that span. The 2022 Cy Young runner-up currently commands plenty of interest across Major League Baseball and should bring in a nice return if he is traded. Although he is coming off a down year in 2023, Cease's past success and high durability make him an attractive option to opposing clubs.
A trade seems very possible, and I believe the time to move him is now. Here are three reasons why the White Sox should trade Dylan Cease.
The market is unbelievably thin
The current starting pitching market is thin. And I mean paper thin. The two best arms that remain in free agency are left-handed pitchers Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery. Snell is coming off his second career Cy Young award and Montgomery was an integral part of securing a victory for the Texas Rangers in the 2023 World Series. Both pitchers command massive contracts that most clubs don't have much interest in signing.
Besides the other two big-name free agents, there are no arms left on the market that match Cease's caliber. In a pitcher-needy offseason, there are a handful of teams that are desperate for another solid arm in the rotation. This is why Dylan Cease is currently so valuable. Acquiring Cease would immediately boost any club's rotation for a good cost, therefore the interest should remain high.
Teams like the Baltimore Orioles and the New York Yankees have been mentioned as possible suitors. Both clubs have great pieces in their minor league systems that could be a possible fit for both sides. There is a chance that Dylan Cease's value never gets higher than it is currently, and the White Sox should take advantage of it and act now.